Synduality: Noir

In 2242, the remnants of humanity are forced to live in scattered bubble-like cities across devastated lands. Hiding from toxic rain and hostile lifeforms known as Enders, they survive thanks to a new source of energy from AO crystals. Those tasked with risking their lives to collect AO crystals are called drifters, piloting versatile bipedal tanks with the support of combat androids named magus.

While exploring remote ruins with his exceptionally gifted drifter friend Tokio, prospective drifter Kanata uncovers Noir, a seemingly intact magus in stasis. Although she wakes up by herself, Noir has lost her memories and is of no help in Kanata's work. However, amid an Enders attack, Kanata discovers that Noir possesses remarkable combat abilities. The pair now embarks on a journey to not only shed light on Noir's past but also to uncover the location of Histoire—the mythical city harboring secrets of the world that Kanata has always dreamt of visiting.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Noir Main

Koga, Aoi Japanese

Kanata Main

Ootsuka, Takeo Japanese

Ellie Supporting

Inagaki, Konomi Japanese

Ciel Supporting

Aoyama, Nagisa Japanese

Ada Supporting

Ishikawa, Yui Japanese

Claudia Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Tokio Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuusuke Japanese

Maria Supporting

Itou, Miku Japanese

Schnee Supporting

Ichimichi, Mao Japanese

Ange Supporting

Ohashi, Ayaka Japanese

Moroguchi, Kazunari Producer

Futami, Yousuke Producer

Matsuda, Hiroshi Producer

Yamamoto, Yuusuke Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Sep 26, 2023

Reviewholic

Recommended

Right after the season when Gundam: Witch from Mercury brought back mecha hype yet again, we get Synduality: Noir, a brand new mecha title of opposite values.
While WfM was a little revolutionary for its big old franchise, Noir is just dead ass generic. No yuri or yaoi in space capitalism, just good old harem with a dense MC in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by aliens, a setting that plagues the mecha genre. The only new stuff that Noir brings to the mecha genre is borrowed from other works. Magus, a humanoid assistant who is bound by contract, is obviously inspired by Fate's Servant and ... JoJo's Stand. Then it hit me, this is literally Takt Op. Destiny but mecha. Luckily, Noir isn't off-the-rails like Takt Op. Destiny for now.

Cliche done right is no worse than unique done wrong. Despite the generic premise, characters tropes and fanservice, I still enjoy Noir a lot. The character designs are nice. The animation is surprisingly high quality. Every episode comes with mecha action scene that is 3D CG. The characters although tropey, acts mature for their young age and often have humorous banters, making them easily likable.

Noir follows an episodic formula, most of the showtime is used to introduce characters rather than progressing the plot. It's hard to tell if Part 2 can pick up the pace and switch to a serious tone, but for now, Part 1 serves well as a lighthearted introduction.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Reviewholic (31)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Sep 25, 2023

KANLen09

Mixed Feelings

Can someone tell me: has the Mecha genre really grown over the past few years? And no, I'm talking about everything else other than those affiliated with the Gundam franchise. In my mind, certainly not.

Mixed-media projects are always a big gamble for companies, especially when they're new ones looking to stamp their reputation from the get-go. One recent example that I can think of was of Square Enix's Deep Insanity project, which was collaborated with Ubisoft, and look at how that turned out: the anime was a douche of an embarassing flop back in Fall 2021; the manga adaptation, which had its own standalone timeline ... and finished its Nirvana serialisation in March of this year; not to mention that the PC and mobage Asylum game was released around the same time and ended service last October. It's safe to say that Square Enix risked it all on Deep Insanity, and for all intents and purposes, the project was yet another abject failure that failed to catch on in Japan.

The reason why I'm referencing Deep Insanity, is because of Bandai Namco's newest mixed-media project, dubbed Synduality. It honestly gave me the exact same bad vibes of companies committing to the same tried-and-true but oversaturated market of both AniManga and mobage, and overestimating their competition. As an example, take CyGames for one, their Uma Musume and Princess Connect a.k.a PriConne mobages that has now become mixed-media projects, have been very successful in Japan for a few years now. Most certainly, Bandai Namco is no stranger to this huge and illusive market as well, and this Synduality project of theirs, which has already spawned manga and LN adaptations in the form of Synduality: Ellie, until now, is mostly just mute on the newsfront. With the game console version of Synduality: Echo of Adam, soon to be released on major consoles (except the Switch) and PC, is Bandai Namco ready to gun for yet another success, or another failure...only time will tell.

This then brings me to the anime adaptation of the project, dubbed Synduality: Noir. Based on a story draft by the well-loved author Hajime Kamoshida of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and Seishun Buta Yarou Series fame, Noir is set in a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi world where you have your usual mechs and monsters roaming around for survival and community. Please read the synopsis, which will give you the full story setting and its potential for world-building capabilities, of which there are many.

The issue with Noir, lies with the cast of characters. Spearheaded by series composer Takashi Aoshima, his line of past works is quite the detractor to whatever Noir has got planned out for itself, and it's sad to say that many of the tropes from past shows that he's worked on are brought out here. Simply put, the MC Kanata is the literal opposite of a "brains and brawn" guy. Being an engineer to the mechs (which are called Coffins), he's a rather hardworking young man who repairs and fixes Coffins for his people in his hometown of the Rock Town "Nest" settlement. He has good friends like Tokio, who, apart from being the womaniser, is a skilled mecha adventurer (who are dubbed Drifters) with his Magus of butler Mouton to power his Coffin; as well as the childhood friend of Ellie with her Magus of Ange, who has a never-ending crush on Kanata and is always afraid to pluck her courage and tell him of her true feelings. That whole "childhood friend" trope is made worse when Kanata picks up what seems to be a dead, inoperable, but beautiful white-haired Magus, only to find out that, as mysterious as she comes, she awakes with seemingly a blank state and can only acknowledge Kanata has her master. But just as this magus, which Kanata eventually gave her the name of Noir, can power the Coffins as normal, she is a rather special breed of Magus, dubbed Type Zero, which she was a prototype for all of the Maguses that come after her. There is no doubt that Noir acts as the supply to Kanata's demand of wishing to be a full-fledged Drifter; the tale of coincidences lavishes a destiny on which both of them will help to resolve the long-standing issue of humans and monsters, dubbed "Enders".

For the most part, Kanata is the same as any dense MC who knows nothing of love and romance, which, given his interactions first with Ellie and then Noir, pits each other in a pseudo-love triangle of sorts, where really, Noir is just the Kuudere character who needs understanding of what's going on in order to aid Kanata to the best of her abilities. Add in the various characters outside of his friendship bubble with Tokio and Ellie, with mysterious characters come either to thwart their progress or progress the story's plot, and Hajime Kamoshida's story expands to new levels that add more flavour of interest to the worldbuilding, which just so happens to be the only plus point that I can give to the anime overall, that sadly, the main characters being on screen for the majority of the time. dwindles the show's quality.

Studio 8bit is no stranger to adapting a variety of works, including action and fantasy. The closest resemblance that I can give is, funnily enough, this: yet another failed Bandai Namco IP — the ill-fated Zenoncard card game that combines AI elements with its long-running Carddass TCG franchise, which was active from 2019 to 2021. Ah, I remember the memories of watching the ONA, which was nothing more than an advertisement for the now-defunct card game. Under the directorial duties of in-house director Yuusuke Yamamoto, 8bit's production has seen better days, and they still hold up to the punch of delivering quality action scenes that are nice to watch with the surrealism effect. And that is also a plus point in my book.

On the music side, STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION's OP is just as techno-laded as their previous Anisongs, but as much as it seems to be a good fit here, the song is just decent and nothing noteworthy. That said, ARCANA PROJECT has once again delivered a great song in the form of the ED song, and I have loved their tunes since Mononogatari's Season 1 OP, which is a 2-for-2 favourite strike right to my eardrums.

So, why the low score? It's no doubt that Hajime Kamoshida's story plot is the only scoring point for which Synduality: Noir gets it right, but everything else felt stiff, unpolished, and unrefined, with the biggest sin going to the underdeveloped characters, which I am ready to write off Kanata and Co. at any moment. It's a good thing that this show, originally planned to be a 2-cour series, is now split-cour with Part 2 airing next Winter, so any hopes of this show turning into Dust of the Enders, remain to be seen.

For now, it's a mediocre start, and I hope that Part 2 can deliver on the potential lost here.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by KANLen09 (661)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

May 20, 2024

Deago

Not Recommended

Preliminary (3/12 eps)

Set in a futuristic cyberpunk setting, where humanity struggle against giant man eating insects using their advanced manned mecha. Kanata, the novice pilot, in a cave, stumbles upon a silver-haired red-eyed sleeping Ayanami Rei-clone, who then wakes up with the classic 'I-can't-remember-anything'.

The premise appears intriguing on paper and filled with potential for mystery, intense action against scary giant insects, and -even if overdone- the exploration of themes like human-AI relationships or ethical dilemmas in science. However, upon watching, it becomes apparent the official site's synopsis is merely a facade.

Starting with the positives, Synduality Noir diverges from the conventional dark and gritty tone commonly linked with ... such premises. Instead, it offers humour, employing elements of misunderstanding and situational comedy, and, controversially, some sex jokes that might not be for everyone.

Ignoring the CGI, the anime also features vibrant pretty colours and detailed backgrounds. The cityscapes during daylight and the cluttered indoor settings contribute to a lively backdrop.

As for the story, if I were to describe it in one sentence, it's an incohesive, directionless mess of a narrative.

The protagonist, Kanata, is a pathetic loser with skewed priorities. He is mainly concerned about his self-esteem and image. His pursuit of acceptance among his peers as a skilled pilot, despite having many supportive friends, makes him an annoying character to watch. Furthermore, Kanata is indecisive and often relies on his mentor figures, Tokio or Maria. For instance, although the audience is anticipating Noir to regain her memories, Kanata shows no interest in her memory recovery. The idea of returning to the cave where Noir was found and searching for possible clues and leads wasn't Kanata's; it was Maria's. Maria, who didn't even need to feel responsible for helping Noir, did so regardless, while Kanata remained unmotivated, leaving the weight of that mission on the shoulders of his friends.

Instead of aiding Noir, Kanata is content with her being amnesiac. He even explicitly states that, portraying a wish-fulfilment attitude as the protagonist is content to leave his android waifu that calls him 'master' amnesiac. The show doesn't call him out for his lack of responsibility. Kanata, rather than helping Noir, is more concerned about his image and reputation as a pilot (which isn't even bad or negatively affecting his life), and maintaining his kuudere android in her broken state. The show doesn't discuss or draw attention to Kanata's pathetic nature, and the only reason he has low self-esteem is that he isn't a skilled pilot, not because he is selfish and irresponsible.

Even Noir herself, whose personality is as dead as a doll, is more proactive than the protagonist. She is more interesting and deserved more screentime. In the second episode, she goes out by herself to search for clues to regain her memory, such as trying to fix the camera found near her place of slumber. Due to her being autistic and socially inept, she gets into trouble, being caught by a discount Team Rocket that steal precious androids. After a long rescue mission, the camera turns out to be empty, what a complete waste of airtime!

By episode 3, I was confident to conclude the anime doesn't regard its own premise as important. The episode starts with the main character visiting the Red Light City (yes, that's how they referred to it) to boost his self-esteem and manhood by losing his virginity to a brothel's prostitute (and yes, also wasn't his idea). What about the protagonist's goal to find Histoire, the Legendary City he mentioned in episode 1? What about helping his emotionless android partner? Nah, let's dedicate a whole episode about the MC going to bang a hooker.

Oh, did I forget to mention this show has supposedly dangerous man-eating insects of doom attacking the cities from time to time? They are treated like nothing more than a simple earthquake; humanity is still strong, living their lives normally, with no fear of possibly dying at any moment. There's no tension, no anguish from the victims' friends and relatives because there are no victims! It's fake tension; the premise is a lie. While the premise, on paper, sounds similar to popular titles such as Attack on Titan and Evangelion, don't expect a gloomy atmosphere and a constant sense of desperate struggle. The existence of these so-called dangerous monsters is treated merely as a decoration. The focus of this anime is the protagonist proving himself to be as skilled as his peers. Noir is merely a mystery box the show barely draws attention to, and the monsters are just plot devices that show up at the most convenient times but barely pose a threat, even to a newbie pilot like Kanata.

The disconnect between the advertised premise and the actual content leaves viewers with nothing but a comedy filled with sex jokes and soulless CGI action. Synduality Noir is a deceptive disappointment, a yet another shameless, low-effort video game promotion.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Deago (57)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Emotionless and Kuudere Girls with Main Roles

by Archean-Return

35 Entries · 7 Restacks

Autistic characters

by gakuendo

29 Entries · 64 Restacks

Animes that could receive brazilian portuguese dub

by Rafa_SCH

50 Entries · 5 Restacks

Summer 2023 Simulcast List [Update 7/15]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Summer 2023 season. Anime series licensed for hom...read more

Jun 29, 2023 4:31 AM by Snow | Discuss (30 comments)

Summer 2023 Preview

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Summer 2023 titles with an accompanying promotional video, commercial, teaser, or trailer. This post will be...read more

Jun 23, 2023 9:27 AM by Snow | Discuss (5 comments)

	Poll: Synduality: Noir Episode 5 Discussion KANLen09 - Aug 7, 2023	31 replies	by Lanz »» May 17, 5:39 AM
	Poll: Synduality: Noir Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) MegamiRem - Jul 10, 2023	51 replies	by Lanz »» May 15, 1:50 AM
	Poll: Synduality: Noir Episode 7 Discussion AkeZZZ - Aug 21, 2023	27 replies	by Satan_A »» Mar 23, 3:31 AM
	Poll: Synduality: Noir Episode 10 Discussion IzanaSolos - Sep 11, 2023	15 replies	by parzxval »» Mar 7, 6:30 AM
	Poll: Synduality: Noir Episode 3 Discussion AkeZZZ - Jul 24, 2023	39 replies	by KURAIKEN63 »» Jan 22, 6:45 AM